More than 600 UK employers pay the living wage, which was introduced in 2011.

Toni Pearce, president of the NUS, said: “Poverty pay simply has no place in the 21st century. Modern employers understand that and I’m proud to be able to say that our organisation is one of those employers that understand that too.

“We believe that the education sector should [have] exemplar employers, which is why it’s imperative that we lead by example and continue our campaigning in colleges and universities, where there are handsome salaries paid to vice-chancellors and principals.”

Rhys Moore, director of the Living Wage Foundation, added: “As an organisation championing the fight against discrimination, isolation and injustice, NUS members are often at the heart of negotiations with employers, including many universities, encouraging them to pay their staff the living wage.